Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeddah and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeddah and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,362 in Jeddah versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,108 in Jeddah versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,855 in Jeddah versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Jeddah costs roughly 45% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jeddah is 1% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.69 SAR 25.13

$18.39 €15.81

-63.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 SAR 199

$69.2 €59.5

-23.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 SAR 30.64

$14.13 €12.15

-42.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 SAR 9.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 SAR 10.14

Cappuccino

$3.54 SAR 13.28

$3.13 €2.69

13.10%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 SAR 3.77

$3.02 €2.59

-66.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.89

$1.96 €1.69

-87.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

$1.25 €1.07

36.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SAR 3.80

$2.16 €1.86

-53.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 SAR 8.27

$1.69 €1.45

30.18%

Eggs

$2.37 SAR 8.91

$4.93 €4.24

-51.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.36 SAR 23.86

$17.88 €15.37

-64.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.30 SAR 31.17

$9.61 €8.26

-13.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 SAR 49.13

$19.34 €16.63

-32.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 SAR 7.33

$3.24 €2.78

-39.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.25

$2.18 €1.87

-23.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 SAR 5.72

$2.67 €2.30

-43.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.23

$2.77 €2.38

-40.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 SAR 4.37

$2.21 €1.90

-47.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.83

$2.19 €1.88

-41.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.98

$1.52 €1.31

-30.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.02

$0.92 €0.79

-41.30%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.20 SAR 15.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 SAR 9.32

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.45 SAR 24.21

$7.12 €6.12

-9.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.11

$3.15 €2.71

-65.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 SAR 206

$26.99 €23.21

103.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 SAR 11.80

$3.25 €2.79

-3.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

$1.50 €1.29

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.91 SAR 52.2

$34.89 €30.00

-60.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.25

$1.75 €1.50

-65.71%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$48.0K SAR 180.1K

$36.7K €31.5K

30.83%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$21.3K SAR 80.0K

$30.9K €26.6K

-31.16%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$102 SAR 384

$188 €161

-45.48%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$38.54 SAR 145

$15.44 €13.27

149.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 SAR 254

$37.80 €32.49

78.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.1 SAR 327

$57.2 €49.16

52.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.18 SAR 155

$16.80 €14.44

145.12%

Cinema Ticket

$11.87 SAR 44.56

$11.58 €9.95

2.50%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$728 SAR 2,733

$1,003 €862

-27.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K SAR 61.1K

$17.0K €14.6K

-4.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 SAR 259

$89.2 €76.7

-22.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.8 SAR 224

$40.87 €35.14

46.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 SAR 362

$110 €94.5

-12.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 SAR 366

$123 €105

-20.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 SAR 2,904

$1,673 €1,438

-53.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 SAR 1,994

$1,331 €1,145

-60.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 SAR 5,497

$2,596 €2,232

-43.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$831 SAR 3,121

$1,950 €1,676

-57.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,746 SAR 6,555

$7,573 €6,511

-76.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,145 SAR 4,301

$5,370 €4,617

-78.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,664 SAR 6,249

$2,402 €2,065

-30.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

3.16

70.57%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Jeddah: August 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $773 in Jeddah and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 44% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $53.0 in Jeddah vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $332 per month, with Jeddah cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Jeddah vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeddah and Barcelona differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($1,362 vs $2,495 including rent). Jeddah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $773 in Jeddah versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Jeddah versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,362 in Jeddah versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jeddah but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Jeddah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Jeddah and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Jeddah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.